Proper earth ground is important. It is needed to reduce or eliminate static charge build-up and power surges in any piece of equipment or vehicle containing electronic equipment, including those from lightning, which can cause safety hazards, power failures, damage electronic equipment, or otherwise creates costly and inconvenient problems.
For various well-known reasons, it is commonly necessary to use grounding electrodes to provide permanent electrical connections between metal structures and the earth. The most common type of grounding electrodes are grounding rods, typically 8 to 10 feet long, that are driven completely or almost completely into the earth. Electrical connections are made from the grounding rods to the structures being grounded, using suitable electrical conductors (e.g., grounding cables). Angered grounding rods are commonly used as alternatives to driven grounding rods. An ideal grounding connection maintains zero voltage regardless of how much electrical current flows into or out of the earth. The quality of a grounding connection may be improved in a number of ways, by, e.g. increasing the surface area of grounding electrode coming into contact with the earth; increasing the depth to which the grounding rod is driven or augered (in cases where the grounding electrode is a driven or augered grounding rod); using multiple connected electrodes; increasing the moisture content of the soil surrounding the electrode(s); improving the conductive mineral content of the soil; and/or increasing the earth surface area covered by the grounding system.
Such static earth or grounding devices or receptacles, incorporating grounding rods or pins, are used in many places such as airfields and petrol stations to provide a temporary earth discharge point for planes, vehicles and other vehicles and transportation platforms. Such earth receptacle typically include a grounding pin or rod and is installed in the ground. When an aircraft or refueling vehicle is parked at a certain designated site, an earth clamp or cable is used to connect it to the grounding rod or pin that is placed within the earth receptacle so that ground lightning strikes or arcing caused by electrical issues can be safely discharged and not lead to electrocution or cause an explosion.
Existing grounding device, or earth receptacles, generally feature a hinged trap door type or with a removable cover or lid that requires the user to pry the cover open in order to access the grounding pin within the receptacle. The cover is necessary to prevent dirt and other foreign objects from getting trapped within the interior of the receptacle and it should be flushed with the surface of the ground to prevent tripping and other hazards. Over time, the spring for the hinged trap door type might break or get damaged, hence compromising the effectiveness of the receptacle and the cover. In addition, due to mishandling of the grounding device, the cover might come detached from the device and be lost.
In operation, it is fiddling for a user to pry open the cover while holding onto an earth clamp or cable with the other hand. As such, it may require additional time to set up the grounding of the equipment or vehicle. This additional time may be crucial when fast operation is necessary, e.g. quick time around times required for flights at the airport, quick operation necessary during sudden weather changes.
In addition, when the spring or the receptacle cover is damaged or lost, it can be difficult to repair it especially for the hinged trap door type. Any replacement typically requires the entire receptacle to be removed by breaking the surrounding concrete it is fixed into in order to install a new unit and this process is laborious, expensive and time consuming.
Therefore, there is a need for an improvement earth receptacle or grounding device where the grounding pin is protected from the elements within the interior of the device and yet is able to be easily accessed by a user without having to handle too many parts, and is resistant to wear and tear over multiple usage.
The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.
Any document referred to herein is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.